US 12,190,857 B2
Metamaterial-based acoustic sensor beamforming
Bogdan Ioan Popa, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Bogdan Epureanu, Ann Arbor, MI (US); and Hyung-Suk Kwon, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Assigned to The Regents of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Filed by The Regents of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Filed on May 13, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/743,878.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/188,079, filed on May 13, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0056534 A1, Feb. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. G10K 11/30 (2006.01); A61B 8/00 (2006.01); B06B 1/06 (2006.01); G01N 29/22 (2006.01); H01Q 3/00 (2006.01); H01Q 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC G10K 11/30 (2013.01) [A61B 8/00 (2013.01); B06B 1/067 (2013.01); G01N 29/221 (2013.01); H01Q 15/0086 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An acoustic lens to steer an acoustic beam propagating through the acoustic lens, the acoustic lens comprising:
a first structure;
a second structure spaced from the first structure;
an array of projections disposed between the first and second structures, each projection of the array of projections extending from the first structure toward the second structure to define a respective gap between the projection and the second structure; and
an actuator configured to move the first structure, the second structure, or the array of projections for collective adjustment of the respective gaps between the projections and the second structure;
wherein each projection of the array of projections is configured to define one or more respective unit cells, each unit cell having a sub-wavelength size relative to the acoustic beam to establish an effective refractive index profile for the acoustic beam propagating through the acoustic lens between the first and second structures, and
wherein the actuator is configured such that the collective adjustment of the respective gaps varies across the array of projections to spatially modify the effective refractive index profile for the acoustic beam to steer the acoustic beam.